Policies

Parenting support programme

Context

The Sinovuyo Teen Parenting Programme is a component of the broader 'Parenting for Lifelong Health' initiative, which aims to develop and evaluate evidence-informed parenting programs suitable for lower and middle-income countries. Specifically designed for families with adolescents aged 10–18, Sinovuyo Teen spans a 14-week period and is implemented by trained community members. The program was conceptualized and piloted over four years in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Solution

Clowns without Borders, South Africa, trained community members from diverse backgrounds to deliver the Sinovuyo Teen program, supplemented by home visits for families unable to attend group sessions. The program underwent iterative development and testing phases, beginning with expert consultations in 2012, then pre-post pilot tests in 2013 and 2014, and finally, a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial in 2015–2016.

Impact

The pragmatic trial, involving 552 parent-teen dyads across various communities, assessed the effectiveness of the Sinovuyo Teen program. Results were analyzed to determine the extent to which desired intervention outcomes were achieved. Additionally, a qualitative study examined the broader socio-economic and policy factors influencing program effectiveness. Findings from these studies informed the development of the Sinovuyo Teen toolkit, which includes research protocols, ethics approvals, and research instruments to facilitate similar research endeavors.

Analysis

The Sinovuyo Teen Parenting Programme represents a significant effort to address the complex challenges at-risk families face with adolescents. The initiative ensures that interventions are evidence-based and contextually relevant by involving community members in program delivery and conducting rigorous research. The availability of the Sinovuyo Teen toolkit as a resource for researchers and practitioners underscores the program's commitment to knowledge sharing and capacity building in parenting interventions. Continuing efforts to disseminate findings and scale up successful approaches like Sinovuyo Teen will be crucial for promoting positive youth development and family well-being in similar contexts globally.